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Office of Animal Welfare

Environmental Enrichment for Gerbils

I. Introduction/Purpose

The goal of environmental enrichment for gerbils is to maximize activity while increasing species-specific positive behavior and enhancing the animals’ well-being. The components of environmental enrichment for gerbils include social housing, food hoarding, burrowing/hiding and nesting materials, and bathing opportunities.

II. Procedures

A. ​All gerbils shall be provided with environmental enrichment, unless:

  1. The investigator provides scientific justification to the IACUC as to why enrichment is not compatible with the goals of the study and the IACUC approves the variance.
    ​OR
  2. If, in the opinion of the Attending Veterinarian or designee, environmental enrichment will adversely affect the health or well-being of the animals.

A Husbandry Special Services Request form must be completed and turned in by the responsible party (Investigator group or Vet Services) to the facility supervisor if environmental enrichment is to be restricted or absent.

​B. Social housing

  1. Adult males are to be housed in breeding groups or with other familiar adult males if breeding is not intended. If there is no familiar adult male of the same protocol available, then adult male gerbils must be housed singly to avoid fighting.
  2. Adult females are to be housed in same sex groups unless there are no adult females of the same strain available.
  3. Single housed animals will receive extra environmental enrichment in the form of a food puzzle at least once a week.
  4. If fighting occurs between cage mates causing injury, the aggressor should be separated from the group immediately and singly housed. Report injuries to Vet Services per SOP B.1018 Identifying and Reporting Sick Animals.

C. Nesting/hiding materials

  1. Gerbils will be provided with enrichment items to provide for their natural burrowing behavior and prevent stereotypic behavior. Items such as a paper/cardboard or polycarbonate tube/hut that is partially buried in the cage bedding, simulating a burrow and a place to hide.
      1. a.The polycarbonate and cardboard tubes/huts need to be changed every 2 weeks or when found excessively soiled or chewed beyond use.
  2. Commercially available paper nest building materials that can be shred such as Crink-l’Nest®, nesting sheets, Care Fresh® bedding alone, or Care Fresh® bedding mixed with standard corncob or other bedding will be provided.

D. ​Grooming

  1. A ceramic dish filled with ~ 1cm of commercially available small animal bathing sand, such as Supreme Pet Foods Tiny Friends Farm Bathing Sand® or Kaytee Chinchilla Bath Sand®, will be provided once per week for at least 8hrs to allow for sand bathing. The sand bath may be left in the cage but must be removed if it becomes excessively soiled. Otherwise, it must be removed/changed at cage changes.

​E. Food Treats

  1. Group housed gerbils will receive a supplemental tablespoon of seed rations once per week to allow for natural digging and food hoarding behaviors.

F. New environmental enrichment items can be added with the approval of the Chair of the Environmental Enrichment Committee and the Attending Veterinarian

III. References

  1. SOP, B.1018 Identifying and Reporting Sick Animals
  2. Waiblinger E, Konig B (2004). Refinement of gerbil housing and husbandry in the laboratory.Altern Lab Anim. Suppl 1A: 163 – 9
  3. Waiblinger E, Konig B (2007). Housing and husbandry conditions affect stereotypic behavior in laboratory gerbils. ALTEX Spec No: 67 – 9
  4. Waiblinger E and Konig (2004). Refinement of gerbil housing and husbandry in the Laboratory. ATLA 32, Supplement 1, 163 – 69
  5. University of South Carolina (2015). IACUC Policy on social housing and environmental enrichment. Site accessed 8/7/2017
  6. https://oacu.oir.nih.gov/system/files/media/file/2023-06/d4_general_species_environmental_enrichment.pdf

IV. Revision/Approval

SOP Created: 03/30/2012
Last Reviewed by the IACUC: 02/16/2023

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